Shiku — Restaurant in San Diego

Annoyingly good : I was determined to rate this a 1 star at the start of my meal. Firstly, there's no working restroom for customers, the waitress did not even pull my chir out for me, and I had to ask to have my water re filled I didn't even get an explanation of the menu ( luckily I've done the fill out order here style before) oh and the constant modern pop Christmas music is barely more tolerable than nails on a xhalk board.. It's like when I asked about a bathroom they saw me as a vagabond I stead of a hungry customer willing to drop some dime for good sushi. I'd heard good things and was expecting a great meal. So when I was treated the a 3rd rate nuisance right off the bat and the prices were regular for most nice sushi restaurants (a good meal will set you back prolly 40-50 if your hungry) I was pretty miffed. However, the hot sake was Very good and at 8.00 fir 10 Oz a decent price. The fish slices were Very well portioned I got 2 peices of nigiri per order ( some crazy places only serve 1 if you see that- run) and the service got better. By the 3rd glass of water I didn't have to ask for it and they seemed to see me as an actual customer. Of course after a 10 Oz bottle of Very good sake mist iritations are soothed. I'd say the quality of fish, sake, and the flavor turned my 1 star into a 4 star. I simply will not give a restaurant w/o a working bathroom for guests a 5 star review- but I intend to come back for the Chilean sea bass at 29.00 so they gave an opportunity to win 5 stars. All in all I'd say come enjoy this restaurant :) .. just.. don't ask about a bathroom if you want quality service. I guess your bladder can...

I rarely leave negative reviews, but I feel compelled to share my recent experience to help other diners make informed choices. The food at this restaurant was decent, and the ambiance was pleasant enough. However, what completely ruined the experience was the unethical billing practice.

To my surprise, the restaurant added a hidden 20% gratuity to the bill without any clear notice or communication. There was no mention of it on the menu, no verbal explanation from the staff, and the receipt did not clearly label the charge as a gratuity. Instead, it was buried under vague wording, making it easy to miss.

What’s worse, the server presented the bill with a suggested tipping option, encouraging diners to leave an additional 20% tip, essentially doubling the gratuity to 44%—unless the customer happened to spot and question the hidden charge. This practice feels deceptive and unfair, especially when most people want to reward good service but expect transparency.

A restaurant should trust its patrons enough to let them decide how much to tip, and at the very least, be honest and upfront about any automatic charges. Sadly, this experience left a sour taste in my mouth, and I won’t be returning. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and improves their billing...

Found thiis place on trip advisor. Wanted Japanese food so decided to give it a try. Greeted immediately and seated and given menu...only one, so we shared. After a few minutes, server comes to take our order. I did not get chance to read it yet, as others in our group read and decided. I told server I was not ready cuz she gave us one menu. She tben offers to give us another one. To which I replied, others have read it, and now it is only me. Vegetarian udon was good, bulgogi beef and chicken katsu were good too. We also ordered small sushi rolls which I thought we would get first as appetizers. When the main meal was finished, we inquired about the sushi. She said she would check. She did not come back with an explanation or apology. After a very long time, the suishi arrives, one by one. I guess it was sushi for dessert. Never did they offer to refill our glasses or ask how meal was. Rated 4/5 on trip adviser in La Jolla, I really expected the service to be way better. Will not come back here when visiting the area. There are so many more hospitable...